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The Eternal One then spoke to Moses.

Eternal One: Moses, go, talk with the Israelites, and tell them that if someone unwittingly commits a sin that violates any of the directives I have given, this is what you should do.

Sin is serious business; it destroys one’s relationship with God and can even endanger entire communities. So sin must be dealt with seriously. God provides a process whereby sin may be forgiven and guilt may be set aside. It begins with admitting you are wrong and then following the requisite sacrifices. But note: these sacrifices only atone for sins committed unwittingly. There is no sacrifice offered for sins committed deliberately.

Eternal One: If the person anointed as priest commits a sin, he brings guilt on the people and they suffer the consequences. So the priest must offer the most valuable animal—an unblemished, young bull—to Me as a purification offering for sin. He must bring the bull to the entrance of the congregation tent, place his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it in My presence. The anointed priest must then carry some of the bull’s blood inside the congregation tent. While in the tent, he is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times before Me in front of the veil of the sanctuary. He must then approach the altar of fragrant incense and place some of the blood on its horns before Me. He must then pour the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering located near the entrance of the congregation tent. The priest must remove all of the fat from the bull being offered as a purification offering for sin, the fat covering and surrounding the organs, the two kidneys and the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver (which must be removed with the kidneys). 10 He should remove these portions in the same manner that they are removed from the ox sacrificed as a peace offering. The priest should then offer them on the altar of burnt offering. 11 As for the bull’s skin and the rest of its meat, head, legs, intestines, and excrement— 12 basically, the rest of the bull’s body—the priest must move it to a ritually clean space where ashes are dumped outside the community, and he must burn it there on the wood-fire. It must be burned in the place where the ashes are dumped.

This procedure makes sure that the priest does not benefit from his own sins. Nothing is left over from the sacrifice for him to consume and enjoy.

13 If the entire community of Israel unintentionally commits a sin and, for a time at least, the sin goes unnoticed by the community, and they have violated any one of the directives I gave them, and they are guilty, 14 then later when the sin is realized, the community must offer a young bull as a purification offering for sin. They must bring the bull to the entrance of the congregation tent. 15 The community elders are to place their hands on the bull’s head and then slaughter the bull in My presence. 16 The one anointed as high priest must then carry some of the bull’s blood into the congregation tent, 17 where he is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it seven times in My presence in front of the veil of the sanctuary. 18 The priest must also approach the altar, which is before Me in the congregation tent, and place some of the blood on its horns. He is to pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering located at the entrance to the congregation tent. 19 The priest must remove all the bull’s fat and offer it up in smoke on the altar. 20 He is to do the same thing with this bull that he did with the bull of the purification offering for sin. This is how the priest will cover the sin of the community of Israel, and the entire community will be forgiven. 21 Then the priest must carry the rest of the bull’s body outside the camp and burn it in the same manner that he burned the first purification-offering bull. This is the purification offering for sin when the entire community is involved.

22-23 The following are instructions for what to do when a leader unwittingly commits a sin by violating any of My directives: When he realizes his guilt or the sin he committed is brought to his attention, then he must bring an unblemished male goat as his offering.

24 He is to place his hand on the head of the goat and slaughter it in the same spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered in My presence. The goat is to be presented as a purification offering for sin. 25 The officiating priest must dip his finger into the blood of the sin offering, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and then pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 26 The priest is to offer up all of its fat as smoke in the same way that the fat of the peace offering is offered up. This is how the priest will cover the leader’s sin, and the leader will be forgiven.

27-28 If a common person among you unwittingly commits a sin by violating any of My directives, once he realizes his guilt or the sin he committed is brought to his attention, then he should offer an unblemished female goat for his wrong. 29 He must place his hand on the head of the purification offering for sin and slaughter it in the same spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. 30 The priest will then dip his finger in some of its blood, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and then pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 The priest is then to remove its fat in the same manner that the fat is removed from the peace offerings. The priest must offer up the fat on the altar, and the smoke of the sacrifice will rise and be a pleasant aroma to Me. This is how the priest will cover the sins of common people and how they will be forgiven.

32 If a person presents a lamb for the purification offering for sin, then he must bring an unblemished female. 33 He is to place his hand on the lamb’s head and slaughter it as a purification offering for sin in the same spot where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. 34 The priest must then dip his finger into the blood of the purification offering for sin, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and then pour the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 35 The priest is to remove all of its fat in the same manner that the fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest will offer it up on the altar on top of the fire-offering to Me. This is how the priest will make atonement for the sin this person committed, and this is how he will be forgiven.

The Sin Offering

The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally(A) and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands(B)

“‘If the anointed priest(C) sins,(D) bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull(E) without defect(F) as a sin offering[a](G) for the sin he has committed.(H) He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord.(I) He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the Lord. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood(J) and carry it into the tent of meeting. He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle(K) some of it seven times before the Lord,(L) in front of the curtain of the sanctuary.(M) The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns(N) of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar(O) of burnt offering(P) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He shall remove all the fat(Q) from the bull of the sin offering—all the fat that is connected to the internal organs, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys(R) 10 just as the fat is removed from the ox[b](S) sacrificed as a fellowship offering.(T) Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.(U) 11 But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the internal organs and the intestines(V) 12 that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp(W) to a place ceremonially clean,(X) where the ashes(Y) are thrown, and burn it(Z) there in a wood fire on the ash heap.(AA)

13 “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally(AB) and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt 14 and the sin they committed becomes known, the assembly must bring a young bull(AC) as a sin offering(AD) and present it before the tent of meeting. 15 The elders(AE) of the community are to lay their hands(AF) on the bull’s head(AG) before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord.(AH) 16 Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood(AI) into the tent of meeting. 17 He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle(AJ) it before the Lord(AK) seven times in front of the curtain. 18 He is to put some of the blood(AL) on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord(AM) in the tent of meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar(AN) of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19 He shall remove all the fat(AO) from it and burn it on the altar,(AP) 20 and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement(AQ) for the community, and they will be forgiven.(AR) 21 Then he shall take the bull outside the camp(AS) and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.(AT)

22 “‘When a leader(AU) sins unintentionally(AV) and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the Lord his God, when he realizes his guilt 23 and the sin he has committed becomes known, he must bring as his offering a male goat(AW) without defect. 24 He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord.(AX) It is a sin offering.(AY) 25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar(AZ) of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.(BA) 26 He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement(BB) for the leader’s sin, and he will be forgiven.(BC)

27 “‘If any member of the community sins unintentionally(BD) and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, when they realize their guilt 28 and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering(BE) for the sin they committed a female goat(BF) without defect. 29 They are to lay their hand on the head(BG) of the sin offering(BH) and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering.(BI) 30 Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering(BJ) and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar(BK) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.(BL) In this way the priest will make atonement(BM) for them, and they will be forgiven.(BN)

32 “‘If someone brings a lamb(BO) as their sin offering, they are to bring a female without defect.(BP) 33 They are to lay their hand on its head and slaughter it(BQ) for a sin offering(BR) at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.(BS) 34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.(BT) 35 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar(BU) on top of the food offerings presented to the Lord. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 4:3 Or purification offering; here and throughout this chapter
  2. Leviticus 4:10 The Hebrew word can refer to either male or female.